Staff report

BADIN — Jake Ross and Garrett Christy, local fishing students from China Grove Middle School, won a Junior BASS Nation Western North Carolina tournament, at Lake Tillery last Saturday.

Ross and Christy are 14-year-old eighth-graders who will attend Carson High School next year.

Their team won the middle school tournament, with results that even topped the high school teams with a five-fish limit and 11.91 pounds.

Ross and Christy also took first place overall at a Feb. 16 middle school tournament, with a four-fish limit and 18.85 pounds for 250 points. Hunter Alexander and Hayden Hammond, also of China Grove Middle, finished second with 100 points.

Carson’s Bryson Perry and Ethen Fesperman took second place in the February high school tournament with 249 points, behind McDowell’s Tyler Rector and Brison Skeens, with 250. Bennett Bauer and Preston Venable, also of Carson, took eighth place with 243 points.

At Carson next year, Ross and Christy plan to continue with BASS fishing, as well as other sports.

Ross and Christy have also qualified to compete in the state high school tournament, coming up in May.